Public health experts estimate that air pollution is responsible for 16,000 premature deaths in this country each year; at this rate, forty Canadians die from air pollution-related causes each and every day.
- Indoor air quality (IAQ) : People working indoors often experience symptoms such as headaches, shortness of breath, coughing or nausea just to mention a few. However, it is rarely possible to prove that these symptoms are related to a particular indoor air contaminant. In fact, building occupants are simultaneously exposed to a wide range of indoor air contaminants.
- Causes of IAQ problems: Indoor environment – inadequate temperature, humidity, lighting, excessive noise Indoor air contaminants – chemicals, dusts, moulds or fungi, bacteria, gases, vapours, odours Insufficient outdoor air intake
- Our lung health— and our health in general— depends on clean air. Indoor and outdoor air pollution can cause health problems, especially for people who have lung diseases.
- Outdoor air quality is an important health concern. Air pollution continues to be a serious threat to the quality of the air we breathe.
Air pollution can irritate, inflame, or destroy lung tissue. It weakens the lung’s defenses against contaminants. Even low levels of air pollution can cause health problems.